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S. Korean fishing boat sinks in waters off Russia, dozens missing

December 1, 2014

Oryong 501 (NEWSis)

SEJONG (Yonhap) — A South Korean fishing boat sank Monday in the western Bering Sea, leaving at least one of its crew members dead and the fate of more than 50 others unknown, the South Korean government said.

The 1,753-ton ship, the Oryong 501, became stranded in waters near Russia at around 2:20 p.m. (Korean time), according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

One of the ship’s Korean crew members has been confirmed dead, while one Russian inspector and six other foreign nationals have been rescued, it added. Search and rescue efforts are still under way.

The trawler was carrying 60 crew members, including the Russian inspector and 11 South Koreans. Thirteen others are from the Philippines with the remaining 35 from Indonesia, according to the ministry.

The ministry said it had been reported that the vessel listed as seawater flooded in due to bad weather. The crew members had requested help from a nearby ship as well as Russian rescue authorities.

Seoul’s foreign ministry said it has asked the Russian government to work quickly to search for and rescue the crew members.

The Oryong 501, built around 36 years ago, was operated by South Korean fisheries firm Sajo Industries. The company has set up a special headquarters to cope with the accident at its Busan office.